Deep breath in the hallowed halls as we juggle the struggle that is, well, life. Tuesdays are fun days at Carvel, as I've got my syndicated deadline on top of (still pending) "behind the scene things," wild market swings, continuous content and the recent, mindful reminder of the fragility of life. On top of that, I awoke this morning at 4:30 a.m. to a lawnmower so the crank-o-meter is en fuego.

I offer that as a context--not an excuse--for the following point. As I chugged and chewed through my list of to-do's, I put everything on hold and spent an hour with our friends from The Children's Aid Society to map our mission of affecting positive change through financial understanding. It reminded me of why we started Minyanville--and Minyanland--and the bigger picture, the one beyond that screen, the one beyond this generation.

I'm not gonna lie - I've done a lot of soul-searching this past week, questioning my choices in life, the decisions I've made and how I spend my days. Bennet used to say "In 20 years, it won't matter" and that's right, in certain respects, and wrong in others. While we all get caught up in the next best trade, losing perspective at times, the purpose and passion for what we do and how we do it will resonate like the proverbial pebble in the pond of life.

Or at least that's what I tell myself after 20-hour days.

Some top-line vibes as we enter contra-hour:

Hoofy will point to the upside reversal in the financials, the underlying bid in beta (Google (GOOG), Baidu (BIDU) and Research in Motion (RIMM)), the traction in cyclicals, pent up performance anxiety and the heretofore digestion of yesterday's rally as proof positive that he and Stella are getting their groove on.

Boo will note still sickly internals (3:2 negative), the higher dollar and, well, pretty much any chart in the universe that's still in a staunch pattern of lower highs, as well as a firm belief that the sharpest rallies occur in the context of a bear market.

For my part, I've been in do less mode although I did retry my paw at some Goldman (GS) puts with an eye towards the 60% lift into the 200-day moving average, a level last touched -- and repelled at -- in May 2008. My risk leash is tight as, through objective eyes, Granny feels more popular than the shrimp bar at a Bar Mitzvah.

So it's said and clear, everything -- and I mean everything -- is being traded with defined risk due to looming unknowns and the widespread reactivity. While everyone now seems to be chasing rewards, I'm content to manage risk through the lens of financial staying power.

Lemme jump so I can get this in front of you. Fare ye well, Minyans, and stay true to you.